Director, Kent J. Bradford

Kent received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Biochemistry and Horticulture from Michigan State University and received his Ph.D. in Plant Physiology from UC Davis in 1981. Dr. Bradford is the founding Director of the Seed Biotechnology Center and is a professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis. Dr. Bradford, as Academic Director of the SBC, oversees, promotes and conducts the outreach, education and research activities of the Center.

Associate Director, Susan C. (Webster) DiTomaso

Sue received a B.S. degree in Agricultural Science from Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, and an Agriculture Teaching Credential from the University of California, Davis. She is a graduate of the California Agricultural Leadership Program. Ms. DiTomaso is the Center's Associate Director. She coordinates public relations and outreach activities, Center administration and program development.

Education Director, Rale Gjuric

Rale is the director of education at the Seed Biotechnology Center. He is the founder and president of HAPLOTECH Inc., a company specialized in technical services and consulting in plant breeding. Dr. Gjuric received his Ph.D. from the University of Manitoba, Canada; his M.Sc. from the University of Novi Sad, Serbia; and his B.Sc. from the University of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, Macedonia. Previously, he held the positions of Breeding Manager of DL Seeds; Research and Managing Director of DSV Canada; all in Winnipeg Canada. Dr. Gjuric is an accomplished plant breeder with numerous canola varieties and hybrids released in his 15 years in the private sector. His current focus is in service to the plant breeding industry with special interest in organization and optimization of plant breeding programs.

Program Manager, Phyllis Himmel

Dr. Himmel joined the UCD Seed Biotechnology Center in July 2015 to lead the seed industry funded Collaboration for the Identification of Plant Pathogen Strains (CPPSI). She brings 25 years of experience in disease resistance discovery and development, research leadership, product discovery and development in the Agricultural Sciences. Phyllis received her MS and PhD in Plant Pathology from the University of Arizona. After a 3 year USDA/ARS Post Doc researching WSBMV in hard red winter wheat at the University of Illinois, Phyllis joined the Asgrow (later Seminis, Monsanto) Vegetable Seed Company as a research pathologist. She established and led a program to identify and develop resistance in vegetables to viral pathogens, eventually leading the global pathology team of 64 scientists and staff as Director of Research Pathology. While at Marrone Bio Innovations, Phyllis held personnel and product management roles in the discovery and development of plant and microbe based biopesticides.

Program Representative, Rebeca Madrigal

Rebeca joined the Seed Biotechnology Center in April 2015. Her background includes providing program and analytical support to identify potential research collaborators and developing relationships with industry for the UC Davis Office of Research, InnovationAccess. As Program Representative, she is responsible for the oversight of various educational programs, meetings, events, conferences, marketing materials, website and the development of programs.

Program Representative, Sally Mohr

Sally is the course coordinator for Seed Business 101. Sally joined the SBC in May of 2013. Prior to this she worked at the UC Davis California Center for Urban Horticulture and was a resident coordinator for the otolaryngology department at the UC Davis Med Center. At the SBC she is responsible for organizing educational programs and courses and for developing outreach materials.

Program Representative, Joy Patterson

Joy is the coordinator of the Plant Breeding Academy. She comes to the Seed Biotechnology Center from the UC Davis Med Center where she was a resident coordinator for the otolaryngology department. She considers her students, as she did her medical residents, to be members of her extended family. Joy, her husband Dan, and their two children all attended Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. With her background in agriculture, the Master Gardener program, and event planning, Joy brings a unique perspective to the PBA program. Students come from both the United States and abroad with diverse cultural backgrounds. Joy helps them navigate through the requirements of the program as well as helping them get the most out of their visits to Davis.

Program Representative, Julie Tillman

Julie brings to the SBC a diverse professional background encompassing both biological science research and computer/design technology. After receiving a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Nevada and postdoctoral positions at the Universities of Nevada and Minnesota, she pursued a long-held interest in web technology. In 2002 she launched web site design and management sole proprietorship TillSey Web Design, where she developed and managed web sites for clients throughout northern California. Since joining the SBC in the spring of 2015, she has provided the center with general computer and technology support, including graphic/print design, web site management, videography, and photography. She also assists center staff with event, course, and conference coordination and management.

Research Director, Allen E. Van Deynze

Allen has a Ph.D in plant breeding from University of Guelph, Canada. As part of the SBC’s mission to serve as a liaison between public institutions and seed industry, Allen is responsible for developing, coordinating and conducting research and generating and disseminating scientific and informational content for the Seed Biotechnology Center’s and Plant Breeding Center’s educational and outreach programs. His research focuses on developing and integrating genomics into plant breeding of California crops. He has programs on breeding for disease resistance and quality in pepper and spinach, and development and application of genomics in crops. With Dr. Kent Bradford he co-developed and is organizer for the Plant Breeding Academysm and past chair of the US Plant Breeding Coordinating Committee. He has been involved in International and National policy including US Regulations for Biotechnology. He is an instructor for the African Plant Breeding Academy and scientific co-leader for the African Orphan Crops Consortium.